Kenya National Paralympic Committee (KNPC) committee member Dennis Muga and Patron John Tita have embarked on a mission to revive para-sports in the western part of Kenya.
Speaking on Wednesday from Kisumu County, John Tita, a former treasurer of the committee, was optimistic, just days after they ushered in their new chairperson Ronald Milare after Agnes Oluoch’s two terms came to an end.
“The objective is to focus on different regions and talents from individual athletes from a younger age. I have started here in Kisumu with swimming and powerlifting and hope to qualify these athletes for the 2024 Olympics in Paris,” said Tita who added that the response is going on well with athletes almost filling the gyms.
John Tita represented Kenya in para swimming and power-lifting in Finland 2003 and also was part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics before retiring and serving as treasurer under the Agnes Oluoch regime from 2014-2021 after which he resigned from his position.
“We have known each other since 1994 when I starred for Kenya in powerlifting and also served together as officials at the committee. For Kenya to have glory in para-sports, we need to tap talent from all over the country,” said Dennis Muga who also served as vice chairperson from 2014.
The two former para-sports athletes now have targeted primary, secondary schools and private institutions in western Kenya with Kisumu, Kakamega, Mumias and Bungoma towns serving as their base.
Newly elected KNPC chairperson Ronald Milare reiterated that the committee will work hand in hand with the government’s ministries of sports and education as they try to discover raw talents and qualify more athletes for international sporting events since tapping raw talents from the grassroots is their top most priority.
Now John Tita and Dennis Muga have taken the task to lure and register persons with disabilities to KNPC and offer them opportunities to different
athletics events based on their talents from the western part of Kenya as KNPC plots to move into other parts of the country also.
